History of the Collection of Physical Anthropology in the Natural ...

Wiedenmayer/Hotz, History of the Collection...
Most individuals died aged 20-39; females show a maximum in the age class 30 to 39 years,
whereas the males point out a maximum in the age group 20 to 29 years. Over 80% of the
1061 deceased could be identified by means of a death register and the chronological succession
of the burials. Thus, names, ages, professions, origin and cause of death are known. Even
the developments of sickness are documented.
2. The Galler Collection on skeletal pathology is on permanent loan from the Institute of Pathology
of the University of Zurich. The Galler collection consists of 597 mostly macerated
bone specimens of all major pathological categories. Figures 3 gives an overview of the demography
of the Galler collection. The oldest part of the Galler Collection dated back to the
time of the foundation of the University of Zurich (1833). An important part of the Galler
collection comprises patients from the area of Zurich, and was assembled in the first half of
the 20th century following autopsies at the Department of Pathology, University Hospital
Zurich. This institution served for a rural and urban population of approximately one million
persons. 216 of the specimens are male, 177 female and the rest of unknown sex (specimen
mostly dating back to the beginning of the collection). Most individuals died aged 50-79; females
show a maximum in the age class 60 to 69 years, whereas the males show a maximum
in the age group 50 to 59 years. The two oldest individuals, both females, were aged 92 and
99 years. Two males and two females of the Galler collection are of unknown age. Furthermore,
some children (eight males and three females) and young adults (eleven males and six
females) are represented.
The collection was known to specialists in Switzerland and abroad already while housed in
Zurich. Its international knowledge increased with the publication of the influential textbook
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distribution of female and mal individuals per age class
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females
males
30
20
10
0
0-9
10-19
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
80-89
90-99
age unknown
age class (year)
Fig. 3: Demography of the Galler Collection (216 males, 177 females; 204 individuals with unknown
age / sex).
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